Tim Cook says augmented reality is ‘a big idea like the smartphone’

The latest comments, from an interview the Apple chief gave to The Independent, indicate that Cook sees AR as a fundamental, revolutionary technology similar to the smartphone.

I regard it as a big idea, like the smartphone. The smartphone is for everyone, we don't have to think the iPhone is about a certain demographic, or country or vertical market: it’s for everyone. I think AR is that big, it’s huge. I get excited because of the things that could be done that could improve a lot of lives. And be entertaining.

Cook goes on to say that he views AR like the silicon used in the iPhone’s chips, in other words as a “core technology” and “not a product per se.” Back in September, Cook told Good Morning America that AR held more potential than virtual reality because it allowed people to remain present in the real world while interacting with technology.